The Tokio Hotel Review

Review By Julia Roscoe

Descending on Cockle Bay Wharf early in the evening, looking for a relaxed, yet atmospheric destination you can’t go past Home Bar, situated right on the stunning harbour and in the middle of the entertainment precinct. Offering breathtaking views of the harbour, Home Bar is the kind of venue where you can kick back with mates, enjoy a drink and bask in the setting sun.

With striking contemporary interiors featuring fantastic wood work and interesting metals, the bar offers anything you can dream up and more; the experienced bartenders have a distinct creative flair for concocting mean cocktails, and with such reasonable prices you’ll probably find yourself spending far more time in this spot than you ever intended. Especially when the generous happy hour (make that hours) runs from 5 til 8pm Monday through Friday, offering cheap as chips $4 basic spirits, beer and wine. Come this time and you’ll be lucky to score a seat outside, but there are still plenty of super comfy leather couches inside as well as proper dining tables. If you get hungry the menu has a great variety of offers a little more luxe than your basic pub meals sure to satisfy any appetite, and it’s very reasonably priced.

Depending on the time of day or evening you visit Home Bar determines the typical crowd. Come day and early afternoon it’s a huge mix of ages and backgrounds, people either stopping in for a drink or having a quick bite; think mum and daughter, or a group of young mates. By the time happy hour starts the place is usually filled with your typical suit crowd; read 20 and 30 somethings. It’s a great time to mingle with some new faces; everyone is friendly and for the most part wearing a smile, because most of them have just finished work for the day, and let’s face it, that’s a happy time!

It’s definitely worth eyeing off an outdoor table and chairs if there aren’t any free on arrival and pouncing on it as soon as it is free. Chilling outside and watching the sun set over the spectacular harbour is a must do. Pair that with the carefree type attitude that Home Bar has and you’ve got yourself a recipe for a good time.

Once you’ve had a few drinks, the bathroom is a bit of a trek. You have to make your way up a couple of flights of stairs, and they are so dimly lit you might be left wondering if they are even going to be open. But rest assured they are clean and there are enough of them that you’ll never be left waiting in a queue.

Whether you’re looking for a place to kick off your evening, or looking for somewhere to go for relaxed after work drinks, Home Bar is certainly, in my opinion, the pick of the bunch on the harbour.




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A 2nd Tokio Hotel Review

Review By Kelly Teng

Well, it may be a part of Home The Venue, but in no way is Tokio Hotel anything like it’s big brother next door. While Home draws the crowds of all teens and twenty-somethings across Sydney, Tokio Hotel draws a far more diverse group of people from businessmen to fresh clubbers.

Tokio Hotel hosts a minimalist design, with plenty of simple and elegant pieces of decor. My favourite thing about walking into this spot was the cool lighting that hung over the bar: aside from this, everything else was a little difficult to see when the lighting was turned down extra low. However, I also noticed the bartenders wearing funky headwear which added a little bit of uniqueness to the bar: just don’t get confused and think that there is some sort of special event on like I did!

I did have an issue with how small the place was though: it was hard to get around on a Saturday night when all the seats felt jammed together. There was no real indoor-outdoor flow that should come with a bar on Darling Harbour such as Watershed or Cohibar – instead, the outside and inside felt cramped and the outdoor seating didn’t feel sufficient enough for a location on the waterfront. When I wanted to go sit outside I couldn’t, because the few seats that were there were always (and I mean always) taken by someone else, and this can get a little frustrating if it’s a hot night.

What really sets Tokio Hotel apart from places like Watershed or Cohibar though is its entertainment. Tokio Hotel has an arty entertainment vibe which is great for catching the hottest local artists…and by artists, I don’t just mean musicians. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays Tokio Hotel holds EMBRACE, where artists and musicians rock up to share their talents. Thursdays host blues night, while Friday has an infusion of Moulin Rouge and boho to create an interesting experience. Live music is always a reason to come here because you get that atmosphere that you just can’t find when a DJ is rocking a dancefloor.

With that being said, Tokio Hotel is definitely not the dancing type of bar. It’s a place to catch up on the new artists, unwind with a few drinks, or have some pre-drinks before going to Home Bar. Views of the waterfront means that you can come here with mates to relax, or bring a date here for a couple of drinks and romantic background music. Also, like I said before, the type of people here varies all the time so don’t always expect to find the niche groups or crazy clubbers that you can find at other nightclubs.

Tokio Hotel is an experience that is altogether interesting: it provides a funky vibe, and a good, chilled out night. However, if live entertainment isn’t your thing then skip it and head straight to Home, where I’m sure you’ll feel right at home on the dance floor.

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